Before and After iOS 9: What's Different?

At a glance, Apple's latest mobile OS, iOS 9, looks pretty similar to last year's iOS 8—both still mostly resemble the visually overhauled iOS 7. But Apple loves small tweaks as much as big reinventions. So here are some side-by-side image comparisons of the new OS and its predecessor that show off what has changed.

iOS 9 has a host of new and updated built-in Apple apps. Notes lets you draw and make checklists. Maps now include transit directions. Passbook has become Wallet, which includes the updated Apple Pay. And Apple News is a brand-new news curation app.

Along with these updated features, the new iOS also has some new graphical flourishes. Dialogs sport rounded corners. Fonts on the keyboard change from upper to lower case. The new multitasking bar is flowing and expansive. And if you have an iPad Air 2 or any of the upcoming new iPads you'll have access to even more multitasking options like Split View, Slide Over, and Picture in Picture.

Fortunately, iOS 9 is more than just pretty graphics. Usability has also been improved. New search options like Settings search and Siri-powered proactive Spotlight search make it easy to find exactly what you're looking for, sometimes before you even know it yourself.

Pictures speak louder than words, though. So click the link above or below to check out our iOS 8 vs. iOS 9 slideshow. And if you're feeling nostalgic, you can revisit the upgrades made to iOS 7, iOS 6, and iOS 5.